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May 20, 2004 at 08:00 PM
Some Insurers Say Others Are Gaming UL Reserving Guideline
The result, they say, is unfair competition because reserves are less than they should be
By Jim Connolly
Several large life insurers contend that some companies are sidestepping the intent of a reserving guideline for universal life products with shadow accounts. This is resulting, they say, in reserves that can be less than half of what they should be and creating unfair competition in a market that is already competitive.
Shadow accounts are funds in a UL product that have premiums and interest credited to them only for the purpose of keeping a policy in force. A policyholder does not have access to the amount credited to the shadow account. But if the shadow account has value in it, the contract remains in force in spite of the amount in the actual account.
Guardian Life Insurance Company, New York; Hartford Life Insurance Company, Hartford; and, Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company, Milwaukee, raised concern that the Application of the Valuation of Life Insurance Policies model regulation, known as Actuarial Guideline AXXX, is being abused.
Guideline AXXX was developed to curb abuses that regulators say arose following the implementation of Guideline Triple-X, which established standards for reserving for level premium products including term and UL.
Regulators at the National Association of Insurance Commissioners say they are willing to look into the matter. In fact, Texas regulator Mike Boerner says he already is trying to see if strained assumptions are being used with these products but adds that his work is still under way.
But regulators also say they need real examples before they proceed. Have you seen any specific examples in the marketplace? Leslie Jones, a South Carolina regulator, asked company representatives. These companies say they dont have specific examples. Rather, it is more informal evidence such as talks given at actuarial seminars that suggest ways to lower reserving requirements.
These insurers say the manipulation of shadow account expense factors violates the letter and spirit goal that regulators specified in the model.
Bill Koenig, a senior vice president and chief actuary with Northwestern Mutual, says the issue centers on the use of reasonable factors for shadow accounts. He called it a sad day for actuaries when they cant stand up and say how they determine their reserves. This is a big deal to the extent that companies are this far underreserved.
